US9115214B2 - Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass - Google Patents
Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass Download PDFInfo
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- US9115214B2 US9115214B2 US13/625,525 US201213625525A US9115214B2 US 9115214 B2 US9115214 B2 US 9115214B2 US 201213625525 A US201213625525 A US 201213625525A US 9115214 B2 US9115214 B2 US 9115214B2
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- screw feeder
- plug screw
- digester
- total solids
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
- C08B—POLYSACCHARIDES; DERIVATIVES THEREOF
- C08B1/00—Preparatory treatment of cellulose for making derivatives thereof, e.g. pre-treatment, pre-soaking, activation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B30—PRESSES
- B30B—PRESSES IN GENERAL
- B30B9/00—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes
- B30B9/02—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material
- B30B9/12—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material using pressing worms or screws co-operating with a permeable casing
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B30—PRESSES
- B30B—PRESSES IN GENERAL
- B30B9/00—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes
- B30B9/02—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material
- B30B9/12—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material using pressing worms or screws co-operating with a permeable casing
- B30B9/18—Presses specially adapted for particular purposes for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material, e.g. juice from fruits, oil from oil-containing material using pressing worms or screws co-operating with a permeable casing with means for adjusting the outlet for the solid
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
- C12M21/00—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses
- C12M21/12—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses for producing fuels or solvents
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
- C12M33/00—Means for introduction, transport, positioning, extraction, harvesting, peeling or sampling of biological material in or from the apparatus
- C12M33/16—Screw conveyor
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
- C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
- C12M45/00—Means for pre-treatment of biological substances
- C12M45/03—Means for pre-treatment of biological substances by control of the humidity or content of liquids; Drying
Definitions
- the field of the disclosure relates to methods for producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass and, in particular, methods for controlling steam explosion pretreatment operations.
- the total solids content of biomass entering a pretreatment digester is calculated to provide operational data and feedback control.
- Biofuels such as ethanol have seen increased use as an additive or replacement for petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline.
- Ethanol may be produced by fermentation of simple sugars produced from sources of starch (e.g., corn starch) or from lignocellulosic biomass.
- Lignocellulosic biomass is a relatively inexpensive and readily available feedstock for the preparation of sugars, which may be fermented to produce alcohols such as ethanol.
- Preparation of ethanol from biomass involves methods for increasing the accessibility of cellulose to downstream enzymatic hydrolysis. There is a continuing need for methods for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass that provide increased control of the pretreatment process such that consistent and relatively high-yielding pretreated biomass may be produced.
- One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for controlling the total solids contents of biomass discharged from a plug screw feeder into a pretreatment digester.
- the plug screw feeder includes a throat section having a number of drain openings.
- the digester is connected to a damper which contacts the biomass material as it enters the digester.
- the damper is driven forward by a piston which exerts a force on the damper to create a back pressure against the biomass.
- the flow rate of biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder is measured.
- the total solids content of biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder is measured.
- the flow rate of an effluent slurry discharged from the plug screw feeder is measured.
- the total solids content of the biomass discharged from the plug screw feeder into the pretreatment digester is calculated based on the flow rate and total solids content of biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder and the flow rate of the effluent slurry discharged from the plug screw feeder. At least one of (1) the number of open drain openings in the plug screw feeder throat section, (2) the force exerted on the damper by the piston, (3) the rotational speed of the plug screw feeder and (4) the total solids content of biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder is adjusted based on the calculated total solids content of the biomass discharged from the plug screw feeder.
- Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a method for producing a pretreated biomass feedstock.
- a biomass feedstock is contacted with an aqueous acid solution to form an acid-impregnated biomass stream.
- the acid-impregnated biomass stream is dewatered to produce an effluent slurry and dewatered biomass.
- a concentration of acid in the effluent slurry is controlled.
- the dewatered biomass and steam are introduced into a pretreatment digester.
- a total solids content of dewatered biomass introduced into the pretreatment digester is controlled.
- the temperature of the pretreatment digester is controlled.
- An average residence time of biomass in the pretreatment digester is controlled.
- FIG. 1 is a flow chart depicting a method for producing ethanol from a cellulosic biomass feedstock
- FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a system for pretreating biomass by steam explosion
- FIG. 3 is a top view of a plug screw feeder with the top portion of the feeder removed;
- FIG. 4 is a side view of a throat section of a plug screw feeder.
- FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a digester, plug feeder and damper assembly.
- lignocellulosic biomass material 1 is subjected to milling and cleaning operations to reduce the particle size of the material and to remove any non-biomass contaminants from the feedstock.
- biomass materials may be used as the starting feedstock of embodiments of the present disclosure including plant biomass, agricultural or forestry residues, or sugar processing residues.
- Suitable grass materials include cord grass, reed canary grass, clover, switchgrass, bamboo, marram grass, meadow grass, reed, ryegrass, sugar cane, and grasses from the Miscanthus genus.
- the biomass feedstock may include agricultural residues such as rice straw, rice hulls, barley straw, corn cobs, wheat straw, canola straw, oat straw, oat hulls, corn fiber, stover (e.g., sorghum, soybean stover and/or corn stover) or combinations thereof
- Sugar processing residues include sugar cane bagasse, sweet sorghum, beet pulp, and combinations thereof
- the feedstock may also include wood and forestry wastes such as, for example, recycled wood pulp fiber, sawdust, hardwood, softwood, forest thinnings, orchard thinnings, or combinations thereof
- Other materials such as residential yard waste, wood debris from construction and demolition sites and cellulosic materials sorted from municipal wastes may also be used in the feedstock.
- the content of such municipal wastes may vary (e.g., from about 15 wt % to about 50 wt % cellulose on a dry basis, from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt % hemicellulose on a dry basis and/or from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % lignin on a dry basis).
- the biomass feedstock may have a cellulose content of at least about 15 wt % on a dry basis or, as in other embodiments, at least about 25 wt %, at least about 30 wt %, at least about 35 wt % or at least about 50 wt % cellulose on a dry basis (e.g., from about 15 wt % to about 55 wt % or from about 25 wt % to about 45 wt %).
- the biomass feedstock may contain at least about 5 wt % hemicellulose on a dry basis or at least about 15 wt %, at least about 20% or at least about 25 wt % hemicellulose on a dry basis (e.g., from about 10 wt % to about 30 wt % or from about 15 wt % to about 25 wt %).
- the biomass material may include at least about 10 wt % lignin on a dry basis or at least about 15 wt %, at least about 20 wt % or at least about 25 wt % lignin on a dry basis (e.g., from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % or from about 15 wt % to about 25 wt %).
- the biomass feedstock may contain cellulose, hemicellulose and/or lignin in any range bound by the above-listed parameters and in any combination of respective ranges.
- the biomass material 1 may be bound by any combination of the above-noted parameters including any combination of the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin parameters provided above. It should be noted that the recited ranges are exemplary and the biomass feedstock may contain more or less cellulose, hemicellulose and/or lignin without limitation. Any biomass material suitable for preparing fermentable sugars may be used unless stated otherwise.
- the feedstock may include components other than cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin such as ash including structural inorganics and may include contaminants (e.g., gravel, sand or dirt).
- the biomass feedstock may contain about 1 wt % or less ash on a dry basis, about 3 wt % or less ash, about 5 wt % or less ash or about 8 wt % or less ash on a dry basis.
- the biomass feedstock may contain moisture and in some embodiments contains at least about 1 wt % (by total weight including moisture) moisture, at least about 5 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 15 wt % or even at least about 20 wt % moisture (e.g., from about 1 wt % to about 30 wt %, from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % or from about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % moisture).
- the biomass feedstock material may undergo one or more milling operations to reduce the particle size of the material before downstream processing.
- the biomass material 1 is reduced to a size less than about 40 mm or from about 2 mm to about 30 mm or from about 5 mm to about 30 mm.
- Relatively large biomass material e.g., greater than about 40 mm or greater than about 50 mm
- Relatively large biomass material may result in low bulk density which increases the size of equipment (e.g., conveyors) and may impede impregnation and heating.
- Relatively small biomass e.g., less than about 2 mm or less than about 0.5 mm
- Any equipment suitable to reduce the particle size of the biomass material 1 may be used including, for example, hammermills, grinders, cutters, chippers, crushers and the like.
- the biomass feedstock is not milled prior to downstream processing.
- the biomass feedstock may undergo a cleaning operation to remove contaminants from the feedstock. Suitable operations include sifting, air classifying to remove gravel, sand and fines, and contacting the feedstock with one or more magnets to remove ferrous material from the feedstock.
- the milled and cleaned biomass feedstock is preheated with direct steam contact (e.g., less than 1 bar pressure) to open up the pore structure and drive out entrapped air before feeding the biomass to the acid impregnator as described below.
- the steaming time may be sufficient to heat the biomass to at least about 40° C., at least about 60° C. or at least about 80° C.
- Acid impregnation generally involves contacting the milled biomass with acid 8 (e.g., dilute acid) in a vessel for a time sufficient to allow the acid to thoroughly contact and be dispersed throughout the biomass.
- acid 8 e.g., dilute acid
- Any suitable vessel may be used to achieve acid impregnation including pug mixers and stirred tank reactors which may be operated in batch or continuous modes.
- the biomass may be contacted with acid 8 by spraying and mixing or by soaking and mixing.
- the liquid-to-dry biomass weight ratio may be at least about 2:1, at least about 3:1 or at least about 4:1 (e.g., from about 3:1 to 8:1). In embodiments in which the biomass is soaked and mixed , the liquid-to-dry biomass weight ratio may be at least about 10:1, at least about 12:1 or at least about 14:1 (e.g., from about 12:1 to about 20:1).
- the acid 8 that is used for acid impregnation may be sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid or nitric acid. Regardless of the acid that is used, the concentration of the acid solution added to the biomass may be at least about 0.1 wt %, at least about 0.2 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 1 wt %, at least about 2.5 wt %, less than about 5 wt %, less than about 3 wt %.
- the temperature of the acid 8 introduced in the vessel may vary depending on whether the acid-impregnation vessel includes heating elements (resistance heaters, combusted gases, steam or the like) in thermal communication with the vessel or includes direct steam injection for heating the acid and/or milled biomass material 6 during impregnation.
- heating elements resistance heaters, combusted gases, steam or the like
- the acid 8 is heated and/or extraneous heat is applied to the impregnation vessel such that the acid-impregnated biomass 10 is at a temperature of at least about 20° C., at least about 50° C. or at least about 75° C.
- the amount of time between initial contact of the biomass with acid and before downstream dewatering may be at least about 30 seconds, at least about 1 minute, at least about 5 minutes or more (e.g., from about 30 seconds to about 20 minutes or from about 1 minute to about 10 minutes).
- the pH of the acid-impregnated biomass 10 may be less than about 5, less than about 3 or less than about 2.
- the acid-impregnated biomass 10 may undergo a dewatering operation ( FIG. 1 ) to reduce the moisture content of the biomass to an amount suitable for steam explosion.
- Suitable equipment for dewatering includes, for example centrifuges, filters and cyclones (e.g., which may also be referred to as “hydro-clones” by those of skill in the art) which may be used for slurries having a total solids content of about 4 wt % of less; screens and drain-screws which may be used for inlet slurries having a total solids content of about 4 wt % to about 18 wt %; and screw presses and plug feeders which may be used for inlet slurries having a total solids content of about 15 wt % to about 40 wt %.
- centrifuges filters and cyclones
- filters and cyclones e.g., which may also be referred to as “hydro-clones” by those of skill in the art
- screens and drain-screws which may be used for inlet slurries having a total solids content of about 4 wt % to about
- Dewatering operations may increase the total solids content of the biomass to about 30 wt % or more, to about 40 wt % or more, to about 50 wt % or more (e.g., from about 30 wt % to about 50 wt % or from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % total solids). Dewatering produces an effluent slurry 3 ( FIG. 1 ).
- the dewatered biomass 12 and steam 11 are introduced into a vessel to cause steam explosion of the biomass material 1 .
- Vessels for causing steam explosion of biomass may be referred to as a “pretreatment digester” or simply “digester” or “pretreatment reactor” or simply “reactor” by those of skill in the art and these terms may be used interchangeably herein.
- the vessel may have any suitable shape (e.g., cylindrical) and may have a vertical or horizontal orientation.
- Steam is introduced into the vessel at an elevated pressure. Upon discharge from the vessel, the pressure is reduced rapidly which causes sudden and vigorous flash of liquid (often referred to as steam explosion).
- the steam explosion causes a change in the structure of the biomass (e.g., a decrease in the particle size and increase in specific surface area of the biomass) which allows the cellulose to be more accessible for downstream enzyme hydrolysis and allows the hemicellulose to be more readily solubilized.
- the rapid drop in pressure allows a significant portion of the hot condensate to flash off and results in lower temperature and higher solid content of pretreated material.
- the mass ratio of steam 11 to dewatered biomass 12 (based on dry biomass) added to the vessel is at least about 1:6 or, as in other embodiments, at least about 1:4 or at least about 1:1.5.
- the pressure of steam 11 added to the vessel may be at least about 5 bar, at least about 10 bar or at least about 15 bar.
- the temperature of steam introduced into the vessel may be from about 150° C. to about 230° C. (e.g., from about 170° C. to about 210° C.).
- the temperature of the biomass material within the vessel is controlled by adjusting the pressure of the process steam 11 added to the vessel.
- the temperature within the vessel (and of the biomass after sufficient residence time) may be controlled to be from about 160° C. to about 195° C. Temperatures below 160° C. may involve longer residence times resulting in larger digester volumes and even use multiple digesters operating in parallel. Temperatures above about 195° C. may involve relatively low residence times which may result in difficulty in controlling temperature in the digester.
- the temperature of the vessel may be measured and the pressure adjusted (manually or by automatic control) based on the measured temperature.
- Non-condensable gases which could lower the temperature of vapor space inside the digester if allowed to accumulate, may be continuously or intermittently vented from the top section of the digester to prevent build-up.
- Other methods of controlling the temperature and moisture of the biomass material are contemplated within the scope of this disclosure.
- the average residence time of the biomass material within the vessel may also be controlled to produce a more uniform pretreated stream.
- the average residence time may be controlled, for example, by varying the amount of biomass in the vessel (i.e., adjusting the level of biomass in the vessel for vertical vessels). This average residence time or level may be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the flow rate of material discharged from the vessel (or added to the vessel as in some embodiments) for a period of time until the desired average residence time is achieved.
- the level of biomass in the vessel may be measured by any suitable instrument such as a nuclear level measuring instrument.
- the mass of biomass retained in the vessel may be determined based on estimated (or measured) bulk density and the volume occupied at a particular level.
- the average residence time may be calculated by dividing the mass biomass retained in the vessel by the average mass flow rate of biomass fed into the digester. Average residence time may also be measured by sending a visible tracer or a tracing chemical through the digester 64 . Once the desired average residence time (i.e., level as with vertical vessels) is achieved, the rate of input into the vessel may be returned to a steady-state condition. In embodiments wherein a horizontal digester having a screw conveyor is used, the average residence time may be adjusted by changing the speed of the conveyor.
- the average residence time may be controlled to be at least about 1 minute (e.g., from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes or from about 1 minute to about 20 minutes).
- relatively short residence time e.g., less than about 1 minute
- at low level i.e., short residence time
- the pressure of the biomass is quickly reduced, which causes the desired structure change in the biomass. This structure change increases the availability of cellulose to undergo downstream hydrolysis.
- FIG. 1 minute e.g., from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes or from about 1 minute to about 20 minutes.
- the biomass is discharged into a flash vessel 67 that is at a low pressure (e.g., about 0.5 bar to about 3 bar gauge) relative to the digester 64 .
- the pressure difference between the steam vessel and flash vessel may be at least about 5 bar, at least about 9 bar or at least about 12 bar.
- a system 65 for causing steam explosion of dewatered biomass material may include a chip silo 54 , a pretreatment digester 64 and a plug screw feeder 58 that transfers acid impregnated and dewatered biomass 12 from the silo 54 to the digester 64 .
- the silo 54 is suitably sized to provide sufficient storage capacity to allow acid impregnated and dewatered biomass 12 to be introduced at a relatively constant rate to the pretreatment digester 64 .
- the silo 54 may have a cylindrical shape with a diverging wall (i.e., the diameter of the bottom is larger than the diameter of the top), but may alternatively have another suitable shape.
- the system 65 may include a metering device 51 for metering dewatered biomass 12 from the silo 54 to the plug screw feeder 58 .
- Any suitable metering device such as rotary sweepers or agitators may be used.
- the metering device 51 may operate with a mass weight feeder such as a weight belt metering conveyor (not shown) that feeds dewatered biomass to the silo 54 .
- the mass weight feeder controls the amount of dewatered biomass fed into the silo and the silo metering device 51 maintains the level of biomass in the silo at a constant level.
- the metering device 51 may enable a relatively steady feed rate (e.g., does not overflow or empty the silo 54 )
- the moisture content of the dewatered biomass 12 may be measured to help determine the total solids content of the biomass discharged into the digester 64 as described below. Measurement of the moisture content of dewatered biomass may be performed using any suitable instrument (e.g., a near infrared spectrophotometer) or by traditional drying method applied to grabbed samples.
- the plug screw feeder 58 ( FIG. 3 ) includes a screw 70 that extends through an inlet housing 74 and throat section 72 .
- the throat section 72 narrows in diameter toward the discharge end 75 of the feeder 58 to compact the biomass as it travels toward the discharge end.
- the throat section 72 includes a number of openings 78 ( FIG. 4 ) through which liquid passes as the biomass is compressed.
- the flighting of the screw 70 ( FIG. 3 ) becomes more narrowly spaced toward the discharge end 75 of the plug screw feeder 58 .
- the diameter of the screw flighting also decreases toward the discharge end 75 of the plug screw feeder 58 .
- the material compresses and air and effluent slurry 55 ( FIG. 2 ) are forced out of the biomass.
- the compression generally allows the biomass to achieve a more uniform moisture content that facilitates better downstream control.
- the biomass forms a “plug” which isolates the high pressure digester 64 from the lower pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure) environment in the inlet of the feeder 58 .
- the plug of material is pushed forward into the digester 64 .
- a blow back damper 80 FIG. 5
- the damper 80 also exerts force on the biomass which helps form a dense biomass plug to seal against the steam pressure inside the digester or seals the plug screw feeder 58 when a plug of biomass is not present in the feeder.
- the damper 80 may form part of a damper assembly 60 .
- the damper assembly 60 may include a piston 82 which exerts a force on the damper 80 to drive the damper forward against the biomass.
- the piston 82 may be driven forward pneumatically or hydraulically or by any other suitable method.
- the force applied to the damper 80 may be varied by adjusting the pneumatic or hydraulic pressure applied to the piston 82 .
- pretreatment digester 64 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 as being generally vertical, the digester may also be oriented generally horizontally or in other orientations.
- Flushing fluid 99 may be sprayed on the throat section of the plug screw feeder to prevent buildup of fines expelled through the drain openings 78 .
- the flushing fluid 99 may be process water or acid (e.g., hot dilute acid).
- At least one spray nozzle 71 is positioned above and to the side of each side of the throat section.
- two or more spray nozzles 71 may be positioned on each side directing a spray pattern 83 of liquid at the drain openings to prevent buildup of fines and to flush fines down to a collection trough (not shown) positioned below the throat section 72 .
- the spray pattern 83 may be directed at the drain openings 78 in a manner such that the liquid exiting the drain openings is not impeded, i.e., not directly inside the opening but at an angle from above.
- the rate and pressure of the liquid spray can be adjusted manually or remotely using a flow control valve (not shown) in the flushing fluid supply lines.
- the liquid flow rate to each (or selected groups) of spray nozzles may also be adjusted by use of individual flow control valves (not shown).
- the liquid drainage rates through the openings closer to the entrance of the throat are generally higher than the rates that are nearer to the exit zone; therefore, higher liquid spray rates may be used upstream of the throat to flush away higher amount of fines.
- the flushing liquid may provide sufficient flow and velocity to carry away fines that may otherwise settle out at the bottom of the trough (not shown) beneath the throat 72 of the plug screw feeder.
- the flushing liquid may have the same acid concentration and temperature as the dilute acid 8 used for impregnating biomass.
- flushing fluid 99 is not used and only fines and liquids discharged from the throat second 72 exit the plug screw feeder (i.e., form the effluent slurry 55 ).
- a mass balance is performed with respect to the plug screw feeder 58 to determine the total solids content of the biomass material which enters the pretreatment digester 64 .
- the mass flow rate (FR in ) and total solids content (TS in ) of material entering the plug screw feeder 58 and the mass flow rate (FR out ) and total solids content (TS out ) of the effluent slurry 55 are measured. If flushing fluid 99 is used, the mass flow rate FR FF of the flushing fluid may be measured.
- the mass flow rate (FR in ) of material entering the plug screw feeder 58 (through the hopper 54 ) may be measured by use of a weight and loss feeder, by a weight belt or by another suitable mass flow meter.
- Total solids content (TS in ) of the material entering the plug screw feeder 58 may be determined by sampling the material and measuring the mass of the sample before and after evaporating the moisture by heating (e.g., by infrared (IR) moisture balances).
- the total solids content may also be measured by near infrared (NIR) moisture analyzers or portable (e.g., handheld) moisture meters.
- NIR near infrared
- the mass flow rate (FR out ) of effluent slurry 55 may be measured by liquid mass flow meters or by collecting the effluent slurry for a period of time and measuring the weight of the collected effluent slurry or measuring the volume of collected liquid and determining the weight using the measure density of the liquid.
- the mass flow rate of the effluent slurry 55 is measured by measuring a volumetric flow rate and converting the volumetric flow rate to a mass flow rate based on the measured or approximated density of the effluent slurry.
- the total solids content (TS out ) of the effluent slurry 55 may be determined by gathering a sample and drying the sample in a drying oven or using an IR balance. The total solids content of the effluent slurry 55 may be periodically monitored to detect potential issues with unit operations upstream of the silo 54 . High total solids content or increasing amounts of fines in the effluent slurry 55 may indicate that the feedstock milling and cleaning systems may be malfunctioning or that the feedstock may contain excessive amount of fine contaminant (e.g. sand).
- fine contaminant e.g. sand
- the solid fines in the slurry effluent 55 may be below about 3 wt %, below about 2 wt % or below about 1 wt % of the total solids entering the silo 54 .
- High fines content in the effluent slurry 55 also may indicate a high amount of fines entering the digester 64 ( FIG. 2 ) which may cause uneven heating of biomass.
- the total solids content of the effluent slurry 55 is assumed to be negligible and is not used to determine the total solids content of biomass material entering the digester.
- the total solids content of the effluent slurry 55 is assumed to be relatively constant and this constant value is used in the calculation of the total solids content of the material entering the digester 64 rather than a directly measured total solids content.
- the flow rates and total solids content of the biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder 58 and the effluent slurry discharged therefrom may be directly measured by technicians or laboratory personnel or measurement may be automatically performed on a continuous basis by suitable measurement devices and may be transmitted (e.g., instantaneously) to operators or to automated control processors (e.g., a computer processor).
- measurement may suitably be performed at predetermined intervals, e.g., on an hourly basis, or longer intervals may be used (e.g., every 4, 8 or 12 hours or daily measurement).
- Calculation of the total solids content of the biomass entering the pretreatment digester may be performed automatically by the control processor after electronic transmission of the measured parameters to the processor, or alternatively by manual entry of the data into the processor. In lieu of a processor, the calculation can be performed by technicians or laboratory personnel.
- an adjustment may be made to the dewatering process to change and thereby control the total solids content of the dewatered biomass.
- at least one of the following is adjusted after calculation of the total solids content of the biomass entering the pretreatment digester: (1) the number of open drain openings 78 in the plug screw feeder throat section 72 ( FIG. 4 ), (2) the force exerted on the damper 80 by the piston 82 ( FIG. 5 ), (3) the rotational speed of the plug screw feeder or (4) the total solids content of biomass introduced into the plug screw feeder 58 .
- the number of open drain openings 78 in the plug screw feeder throat section 72 are controlled, e.g., adjusted to change the total solids content of the dewatered biomass that enters the digester 64 ( FIG. 5 ).
- Any suitable method may be used to adjust the number of openings.
- plugs may be inserted or removed from one or more of the openings.
- Fastened metal bands with multiple plugs that fit in several openings aligned on the same circumferences of the throat may be used to close many openings at the same time.
- biomass material may be removed to allow liquid to drain from the opening.
- the throat section 72 of the plug screw feeder 58 is removed and a new throat section with adjusted openings, e.g., more or less openings, or differently sized openings) is installed in response to the calculated total solids content of the biomass entering the digester.
- adjusted openings e.g., more or less openings, or differently sized openings
- the force exerted on the damper 80 by the piston 82 may be adjusted. For example, by decreasing the force exerted on the damper 80 , less resistance is applied to the biomass being discharged from the plug screw feeder 58 which allows for less compaction of biomass and less removal of water through the openings 78 ( FIG. 4 ) of the throat section 72 .
- the force exerted by the piston 82 may be adjusted by, for example, increasing or decreasing the pneumatic or hydraulic pressure used to drive the piston or by decreasing or increasing the piston or damper length.
- the force exerted on the damper 80 may also be varied using an adjustable tension spring or adjustable weights.
- the total solids content of biomass introduced into the plug feeder 58 is adjusted to change the total solids content of the biomass fed into the digester 64 .
- upstream screw presses may be adjusted in a manner similar to the plug screw feeder to cause more or less dewatering of biomass prior to introduction into the plug screw feeder.
- one or more of the above-described adjustment methods are used to achieve a total solids content of biomass introduced into the digester 64 between about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % total solids or, as in other embodiments, from about 45 wt % to about 55 wt % total solids.
- a total solids content below about 45 wt % and in particular below about 40 wt % may cause a high amount of steam condensate to form in the digester 64 which may dilute the acid in the digester, decrease monomeric xylose yield, slow down the heating of biomass and cause uneven heating of biomass due to moisture blocking heating by direct contact of steam.
- Total solids content above about 55 wt % and, in particular, above about 60 wt % or even about 65 wt % may cause the acid concentration to be increased to obtain the desired mass ratio of acid to solid biomass which may result in formation of undesirable hemicellulose and lignin degradation products. It should be noted, however, that the present disclosure should not be limited to a particular total solids content of biomass introduced into the digester unless stated otherwise.
- a particular total solids set point, TS digest — set is chosen and adjustments are made such that TS digest — set does not vary by more than a certain tolerance level (i.e., TS digest — set ⁇ X).
- the tolerance in the total solids content is about ⁇ 1 wt % or less, about ⁇ 2 wt % or less, about ⁇ 5 wt % or less or about ⁇ 10 wt % or less.
- the total solids content may be controlled as described above or by other suitable methods.
- the total solids content may be adjusted to at least partially control other digester 64 parameters.
- the total solids content of the biomass introduced into the digester 64 i.e., discharged from the plug screw feeder 58 ) affects the mass ratio of acid to dry biomass introduced into the digester.
- the mass ratio of acid to dry biomass may be adjusted by adjusting the total solids content of the biomass introduced into the digester 64 .
- the ratio of acid (100% wt basis) to dry biomass ratio may be in the range from 0.005:1 to 0.04:1 or, as in other embodiments, in the range from 0.01:1 to 0.02:1.
- the mass ratio of acid to dry biomass introduced into the digester 64 is also affected by the concentration of acid 8 in the acid-impregnated biomass prior to discharge from the plug screw feeder 58 .
- the concentration (e.g., pH) of the effluent slurry 55 discharged from the plug screw feeder 58 is measured (or the effluent 3 ( FIG. 1 ) discharged from upstream dewatering operations).
- pH or conductivity meters may be used to continually monitor the pH of the effluent slurry 55 or effluent slurry 3 .
- the acid concentration may be adjusted and thereby controlled by increasing or decreasing the concentration of acid in the acid stream 8 that is used as a source of acid during acid impregnation.
- the pH of the effluent slurry 3 or effluent slurry 55 is controlled to be between about 1 and about 1.5.
- the acid concentration may be determined by direct titration with standard caustic solution.
- the acid concentration in stream 8 is controlled to be between about 0.1 wt % to about 3 wt % or, as in other embodiments, between about 0.5 wt % to about 2 wt %.
- a combination of parameters is controlled to provide consistent pretreated biomass 20 .
- the total solids content of the biomass discharged from the plug screw feeder (e.g., as calculated) may be controlled (e.g., to be between about 40 wt % to about 60 wt % total solids or from about 45 wt % to about 55 wt % total solids)
- the average residence time of biomass in the pretreatment digester 64 ( FIG. 1 ) may be controlled (e.g., from about 1 and about 10 minutes)
- the temperature in the pretreatment digester may be controlled (e.g., from about 160° C. to about 195° C.).
- Biomass may be removed from the bottom of the digester 64 by use of a rotary sweeper (not shown) positioned above a screw conveyor 66 ( FIG. 2 ) which conveys the treated material 61 through a blow valve assembly (not shown) and into a flash vessel 67 in which steam 70 is flashed from the biomass and discharged.
- the pretreated biomass 20 is subjected to one or more conditioning operations ( FIG. 1 ) which prepare the pretreated biomass for enzyme hydrolysis. Conditioning may involve various mixing operations and adjustment of temperature, pH, total solids content of the pretreated biomass slurry (e.g., addition of alkali solution 25 which may lower the temperature, total solids content, and/or pH of the pretreated biomass).
- the alkali may react with hydrolysis inhibitors or neutralize such inhibitors.
- pretreated biomass 20 downstream of the digester 64 and upstream of enzymatic hydrolysis is analyzed to provide feedback information for the pretreatment process.
- one or more of the following may be determined for feedback control of the pretreatment operations: pH (before conditioning), total solids, liquid fraction composition (e.g., sugars, degradation products of carbohydrates and lignin such as furfural, hydroxymethyl furfural, acetic acid, phenolic compounds),solid fraction composition (e.g., glucan, xylan, lignin (including pseudo-lignin), particle size distribution and color.
- the pH of the steam-exploded biomass before conditioning is controlled to be less than about 2 or even less than about 1.5.
- Biomass pH of less than about 2 or even less than about 1.5 may result in relatively high solubilization of hemicellulose.
- composition of the water-insoluble fraction of pretreated biomass 20 may be monitored (intermittently or continuously) using any suitable instrument such as a near-infrared (NIR) or Fourier Transform NIR (FT-NIR) spectroscopy with multivariate analysis.
- NIR near-infrared
- FT-NIR Fourier Transform NIR
- the conditioned feedstock 30 is subjected to one or more hydrolysis operations.
- enzyme 27 e.g., enzyme dispersed through a liquid medium such as water
- Suitable enzymes include for example, cellulase, xylanase, ⁇ -xylosidase, acetyl esterase, and ⁇ -glucuronidase, endo- and exo-glucannase, cellobiase, lignin degrading enzymes and combinations of these enzymes.
- Enzymatic hydrolysis may be performed in a series of steps and may include a liquefaction step in which the conditioned biomass transitions from a high viscosity slurry to a pumpable low viscosity liquid and a saccharification step in which simple sugars are produced from cellulose and hemicellulose. Enzymatic hydrolysis may involve separation steps in which C5 sugars are separated from cellulose containing streams and/or in which lignin is separated from the biomass. Any suitable method for hydrolysis of hemicellulose and cellulose which results in fermentable (C5 and/or C6 sugars) may be used in accordance with the present disclosure without limitation.
- the sugars 40 may be fermented to produce ethanol.
- fermentation of C5 and C6 sugars may be conducted together or separately (e.g., sequentially or in parallel in embodiments in which the C5 and C6 sugars are separated).
- Any suitable yeast 36 may be used depending on the sugar content and type of sugar of the fermentable stream. Saccharification and fermentation may, at least partially, be achieved in the same vessel or these operations may be performed separately.
- Fermentation product stream 42 is subjected to various ethanol recovery steps (e.g., distillation and molecular sieving) to recover ethanol 50 .
- a stillage stream 52 may be removed from the distillation bottoms which may be processed to produce various co-products such as dried distillers biomass or dried distillers biomass with solubles.
- a relatively consistent pretreated feedstock with high bioavailability may be obtained.
- Pretreated biomass with high cellulose digestibility and high solubilization of hemicellulose e.g., solubilization of xylan in corn stover or deciduous wood
- hemicellulose e.g., solubilization of xylan in corn stover or deciduous wood
- degradation of solubilized xylose to furfural or condensation of xylose with lignin to form pseudo-lignin (which may interfere with enzyme accessibility to cellulose) may be minimized.
- a method for calculating the total solids of the material entering the digester is provided (an indirect measurement or calculation). By controlling the total solids content of biomass entering the digester 64 , biomass may be heated relatively uniformly resulting in a more consistent pretreated product.
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Abstract
Description
TSdigest=(FRin*TSin−FRout*TSout)/(FRin+FRFF−FRout) (eq. 1)
In embodiments in which no flushing fluid is used, the total solids content (TSdigest) of the material that falls into the
TSdigest=(FRin*TSin−FRout*TSout)/(FRin−FRout) (eq. 2)
TSdigest=(FRin*TSin)/(FRin+FRFF−FRout) (eq. 3).
If flushing fluid is not used, the total solids content (TSdigest) may be determined as follows:
TSdigest=(FRin*TSin)/(FRin+FRFF−FRout) (eq. 4).
Claims (28)
Priority Applications (6)
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BR112015006408A BR112015006408A2 (en) | 2012-09-24 | 2013-09-09 | method to control biomass pretreatment |
PCT/US2013/058733 WO2014046894A1 (en) | 2012-09-24 | 2013-09-09 | Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass |
MX2015003508A MX2015003508A (en) | 2012-09-24 | 2013-09-09 | Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass. |
EP13766785.3A EP2898052A1 (en) | 2012-09-24 | 2013-09-09 | Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass |
CA2884250A CA2884250A1 (en) | 2012-09-24 | 2013-09-09 | Methods for controlling pretreatment of biomass |
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EP (1) | EP2898052A1 (en) |
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US11692000B2 (en) | 2019-12-22 | 2023-07-04 | Apalta Patents OÜ | Methods of making specialized lignin and lignin products from biomass |
Also Published As
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BR112015006408A2 (en) | 2017-07-04 |
WO2014046894A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
US20140083939A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
EP2898052A1 (en) | 2015-07-29 |
CA2884250A1 (en) | 2014-03-27 |
MX2015003508A (en) | 2015-11-13 |
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